2014 Senior Bowl: Day 3 North Practice Notes (1 on 1′s)

Ohio State OT Jack Mewhort had a strong day in 1 on 1s.

NEPD Editor: Mike Loyko

After three practices things are starting to take shape on both teams. I’ve gotten a lot of questions and comments on a bunch of players that are down in Mobile. Instead of doing a traditional notes and listing the winners and losers, I’ve tried to come up with some notes on each player on the North Squad. Here is a quick run down on today’s practice, including 1 on 1 results, and a thought on each player through three days at the Reese’s Senior Bowl.

Final rep of 1 on 1s – Jack Mewhort pancaked Ra’Shede Hageman who was rushing from a left end position. Mewhort rode him out and got Hageman turned and then planted him on his backside.

A Few Words on Each Player

Jared Abbrederis, WR, Wisconsin – Best WR on the North Squad. On another level with his route running ability and catches everything thrown to him. Great kid, polite, and loves football. He’s helped himself.

Chris Borland, LB, Wisconsin – My DMVP pick before the Senior Bowl is looking good. Yet another INT in team drills today, which makes at least two. Strong in coverage, quick to diagnose, and always finds the football. Forget the size.

Chris Boswell, K, Rice – Looked good on the first day and was horrible kicking into a strong head wind. Had no idea where the ball was going.

Tajh Boyd, QB, Clemson – Might be the best QB on the North team by default. Erratic and sloppy at times. Will flash with a crisp throw and comeback with a dude. Needs to know when to scramble or hang in to make a throw.

Jonathan Brown, LB, Illinois – Hasn’t jumped out much. Got handled in rush drills and has been outplayed by other linebackers. Has a very athletic build and shows quickness to the edge.

Deone Buccanon, SAF, Washington State – Finally showed up a bit today with some very strong coverage on the TE. Stayed tight to the hip on a jerk route, out-muscled the TE and made a play on the ball. Is going to have trouble turning and running in coverage, because he’s not real fluid. In the box, covering the TE, and bringing the edge type of Safety.

Mike Campanaro, WR, Wake Forest – He’s a guy that gets overlooked everywhere, including down here. Prototypical slot WR that has created separation out of his breaks and gets open on the underneath routes. Has shown good hands and toe-tap ability.

Will Clarke, DE, West Virginia – Tough week for him. Hasn’t looked good in one on one’s and has really been handled by the majority of the offensive linemen. Doesn’t seem to have a go to rush move and lacks the burst to win off the edge.

Kain Colter, WR, Northwestern – Struggles with the more complex routes as he is sloppy out of breaks, but he has flashed down the field with ability to make contested catch. He’s got good hands and looks more natural at WR than Denard Robinson last year.

Pierre Desir, CB, Lindenwood – By far his best day today. Fought through picks, looked good playing from the line of scrimmage. Size and length is impressive. Looked hesitant when playing off coverage, but someone that has gotten better as week progressed.

Ahmad Dixon, SAF, Baylor – It’s always tough to evaluate safeties without watching all the film, but Dixon has lacked impact this week. His physicality shows up, but he hasn’t flashed in coverage like he needs to. Not many plays on the ball.

Kadeem Edwards, OG, Tennessee State – This is an interesting prospect. Up and down this week as he’s been beaten soundly a couple times, but he’s also one of the only OG I’ve seen handle Aaron Donald 1 on 1. Athletic OG that can slide feet and get to shaded defender. Needs lots of technique refinement, has been one of the players Mike Tice is coaching up.

Justin Ellis, DT, Louisiana Tech – Stout, strong nose tackle that is tough to move off the ball. Creates a pile up at the line of scrimmage forcing RB to adjust. A 1st and 2nd down run defender that has helped his stock this week.

Shaquelle Evans, WR, UCLA – Doesn’t look out of place on the field. The one thing he can do is extend away from his body to make a catch. Has been average all-around in my opinion, but will get a chance to play in NFL camps next summer.

C.J. Fiedorowicz, TE, Iowa – Just a ferocious run blocker and has shown good movement skills when asked to catch passes. One of the few players that can come in an make immediate impact as run blocker. Once again opening up massive running lanes on the edge and beat LB coverage consistently today when running drag or crossing routes. The safest prospect in Mobile.

David Fluellen, RB, Toledo – Well-built physical looking back. Couldn’t get open much when running passing routes today. Haven’t watched him close enough to make an in depth evaluation.

James Gayle, DE/OLB, Virginia Tech – Looked like he hurt his shoulder today, left practice early. Has flashed once or twice during rush drills, winning with outside speed and not much more. Hasn’t done much to move my opinion of him.

Ra’Shede Hageman, DT, Minnesota – Hageman has played most of the week at 3-Tech. Has been a bit underwhelming, didn’t do well in outside pass rush drills, but that’s not his thing. Despite not making a ton of plays, he’s a guy NFL teams covet for ability to play the 5-Tech with such an athletic frame.

Seantrel Henderson, OT, Miami(FL) – Look dominate in one rep and gets beat because he lacks technique and balance on the next. Without a doubt the best frame and highest upside of any OT here. Some NFL team will fall in love with his measurables and think they can develop him. Can they, I don’t know. Was on the sideline a couple times today with various looking ailments.

Robert Herron, WR, Wyoming – Dropped an early pass after struggling to catch the ball yesterday, but after that really turned it on. Tough to cover out of the slot, catches the ball better when he’s being contested. Not afraid to leave his feet to make catch. Has been held and interfered with all week, but stil makes the catch.

Ryan Hewitt, FB, Stanford – Hasn’t stood out to me. Did have a touchdown in 7 on 7 today, taking a checkdown into the endzone.

Josh Huff, WR, Oregon – Looks like the fastest player on the field. Can run by defenders and create separation. Makes the over the shoulder catch. Has big play potential and has helped himself this week.

Marqueston Huff, SAF, Wyoming – Played a lot of CB this week, but his future is at Safety. Has held and grabbed WR way too much in coverage. Going to need to learn how to cover downfield without grabbing.

Jeff Janis, WR, Saginaw Valley – His size and build stand out. Hasn’t looked out of place, but at the same time hasn’t jumped out. Catches the ball a little close to his body and I haven’t see him create much separation with his speed. Will probably get drafted of be a priority FA because he has raw potential.

Stanley Jean-Baptist, CB, Nebraska – His best day by far today. Out of all the big, tall CB he’s been the best. Shadowed and pressed the receivers well when playing from the line and broke up at least two passes today down the field. Has the best hips of the tall CB.

Dontae Johnson, DB, North Carolina State – Hasn’t stood out one way or another. In drills he’s not as fluid as Jean-Baptist and I haven’t noticed him breaking up plays in coverage.

DaQuan Jones, DT, Penn State – Very disruptive today in 1 on 1s and team. Keeps his weight low and uses his leverage to drive offensive lineman forwards. Created havoc in the backfield on multiple occasions. Doesn’t have many moves and doesn’t use his hands real well, but he can get push with is lower half. He’s been one of the better DTs here.

Christian Kirksey, LB, Iowa – Perhaps the player that has improved his stock the most. Has been a standout in all facets. Continues to whoop RBs in blitzing drills, showing quick, sudden moves. And he’s flying sideline to sideline to chase the ball in coverage. At this point I feel comfortable saying he’s a day two pick.

Tyler Larsen, OC, Utah State – Had his best day today, holding up well in 1 on 1s. Slid his feet and didn’t lunge when the defender tried to counter. He’s a draftable center on day three.

Nevin Lawson, CB, Utah State – Flashes in drills. One of the most fluid cornerbacks here and is built very well. I’d call him raw at this point, but there is something there to work with.

Isaiah Lewis, SAF, Michigan State – Has really struggled in coverage this week. Gets beaten a lot and just can’t keep up when a receiver makes a cut. Looks out of his league, which is surprising coming from a great MSU defense.

Brandon Linder, OG, Miami(FL) – Running with the starters as the RG. Has been inconsistent, winning one rep with a solid base and losing the next rep because he can’t counter or redirect.

Zach Martin, OT/OG, Notre Dame – Once again the best overall OL. Moves his feet well and can recover if initially beaten. Hasn’t been beaten much. I’m impressed with how at ease he is when pass blocking. Smooth, patient, and confident.

Kareem Martin, DE, North Carolina – Struggles to win as a pass rusher. Has been blocked way too much and can’t get off blocks when OL gets hands on. Just another overrated North Carolina defender in my opinion.

Jack Mewhort, OT, Ohio State – Had an outstanding day in pass protection. Plays with wide base, was able to anchor when guys like Aaron Donald tried to convert to power. Future starting RT in the NFL in my opinion and a more impressive Senior Bowl than Mike Adams.

Stephen Morris, QB, Miami(FL) – Really poor week. Inaccurate and struggling with his ball placement. Looks like he’s going through the motions at times. Don’t see how this kid is an NFL QB right now.

Trent Murphy, DE, Stanford – While he can beat OL with his effort, motor, and power, his concerns have been reinforced this week. Lack of explosion and speed are major concerns. Can bend some, but it looks like it takes some effort. Tall, linear frame for defenders to target.

Tyler Ott, LS, Harvard – He’s a Long snapper.

Jacob Pedersen, TE, Wisconsin – Surprised me on a couple reps as a run blocker today. Not afraid to get his nose dirty. Has caught the ball well and looks to have a defined role as a #2 TE carved out in the NFL.

Cyril Richardson, OG, Baylor – Can be dominate when the man is head up and he can road-grade. Really struggles when the defender is shaded and he has to move laterally. Not a fit for all teams and probably has to lose some weight to become a better side to side athlete.

Weston Richburg, OC, Colorado State – Strong, steady, reliable center. Has competed and won the majority of his one on ones. Like to see him get more aggressive with his hands and not give as much ground on initial contact.

Michael Sam, OLB, Missouri – Sam has been blocked way too easily this week. He can’t get off blocks and hasn’t shown the violence needed to get OL hands off of him. Every now and then he will flash, like when speed rushed Seantrel Henderson, who couldn’t get a hand on him. We don’t see it enough though.

Michael Schofield, OT/OG, Michigan – The most versatile OL here. Has lined up at RT, RG, LG. Definitely holds his one in 1 on 1 matchups, refuses to give in easily. The type of OL that NFL teams love to carry on the roster.

Charles Sims, RB, WVU – Once again impressed with his vision and acceleration off the third step. Makes one cut and gets through the hole. Catches the ball extremely well, but needs work as a pass blocker. Was beaten by Jordan Zumwalt today.

Marcus Smith, OLB, Louisville – I expected more this week. Hasn’t flashed as a pass rusher and has looked fluid, but non-impactful in pass defense. This kid is a raw athlete, who can do a lot of things, just needs time to make it happen.

Dez Southward, CB/SAF, Wisconsin – Once again struggled in coverage. Seems to always get beaten. Just not fluid or quick enough to keep up with the majority of these WRs and mediocre ones at best. His coverage ability is a major liability at next level.

Shamar Stephen, DT, UConn – Made a few plays today by clogging the run lane with his large body. He’s a run defender first, but won his 1 on 1 matchups today. Seems to be coming on as the week progresses.

Logan Thomas, QB, VT – Like Morris, inaccurate, inconsistent, unimpressive. Strong arm and will always look good getting off the bus. His accuracy and decision making when facing a live rush have once again been exposed down here. I haven’t seen improvement.

Brandon Thomas, OT/OG, Clemson – The 2nd team LT, wins the majority of his battles. Not sure he has the feet to stay at LT in the pros.

Kirby Van Der Kampp, P, Iowa State – Not good.

Jimmie Ward, S, Northern Illinois – The best S on the North roster. Moves like a CB and not afraid to light people up. Mobile native came to play this week. This year’s Jonathan Cyprien.

James White, RB, Wisconsin – White was up and down for much of the day. He’s made strides as a pass blocker, but still got beat a few times. Seems a bit behind Charles Sims in terms of getting to the line and through the hole. More effort needed to catch pass and get open.

Jordan Zumwalt, LB, UCLA – Once again set the physical tone. Was embarrassing RB in blitz pick up drills. Displayed excellent coverage on David Fluellen in downfield coverage, completely blanketing him and forcing the QB to pull down and run.

Important to keep perspective on everything, guys. Senior Bowl represents just a handful of draftable players, and not exactly top-shelf talent. I wish there was an exhibition game with all the top picks. That way we could see the top talent vs. other top talent.

From all reports the QB’s at the Sr. Bowl pratices are not doing well. I wonder how this is sitting with the QB needy teams who were counting on picking up one on day 2 of the draft? Most of these guys are playing themselves down to day 3 if reports are true it seems to me. That makes me reasses how Mallett may be viewed/ valued leading up to the big day? I and many others dismissed the idea he would have much trade value but now I have to wonder?

Right but these 3 are day one locks anyway it’s teams looking for that second day guy they can coach up that could be interested in Mallett. Cleveland and Tenn might be if the top 3 QB’s are gone, also Cleve could be interested in Ridley if Bill really has given up on him and wants to trade him. St Louis is another RB need team so there are possabilitys out there and given the depth of this coming draft this would be the ideal time to make some trades for choices. Even a couple teams with supposed good QB investments, like Detriot, might decide they need another option, who knows?

Hi Steve. No way Detroit wants Mallett. It’s not a fit. They will give Stafford at least another year, so if they want a backup and potential replacement insurance, they’ll want a rookie, and not a guy who’ll hit FA in a year. Not to mention the negative signals given to Stafford while he’s still your guy.

You are right about limited Day 2 QBs though. Assuming Bridgewater goes to the Texans, and Bortles and Manziel go between #3-5. That leaves one of Jacksonville, Cleveland and Oakland still looking. As well as Minnesota at #8 and maybe Tennessee at #11. Then the Arizona, St Louis and Cincinnati may all want a backup/competitor for their guy, and maybe the new Tampa regime wants to move on from Glennon.

That leaves a maximum of 7 teams QB hunting. And guys like Carr, Garoppolo, Mettenberger and Smith with grades ranging from 1st to 3rd round picks. So there might be a team that gets left out in the cold.

That said, same as with Detroit, you don’t trade for Mallett, unless you want to make him the starter, or have an open competition. So that would rule out Arizona, St Louis and Cincinnati as their guys will get at least another year, and so only a drafted guy makes sense for them.

But one of the others might try, but a high third would be the most we’d see, and I still find that an unlikely price. Just not enough reason to pay more, for a guy who’s shown nothing, and that you have to extend now, as an unknown commodity, or risk him becoming much more expensive to keep.

Your righ Alex but as I said, who knows, and we have all see crazier things happen around the drafts. I’m not predicting, just saying, because so many guys are speculating on what might happen or could happen. The only thing I’ll risk a prediction on is I think Bill will trade down the !st.

I wouldn’t mind adding DaQuan Jones to the DT rotation. The guy has good power at the point of attack, plays with great leverage, and possesses a strong base. However, I do think his hand usage needs to be improved in order to be able to shed blocks from NFL caliber OL.

Z. Martin from ND would be a good early round pick for the Pats. Free agent signings will give us a better draft clue; but for now, Online, DB, Corner, TE seem to be the way to go. WR is an obvious need. Protect Brady and get more playmakers on D thru the draft is my current theme. A WR thru free agency should be the focus there. If $ permits raid Cincy’s defense. PS: what does “almost simultaneously” mean by the NFL office in explaining/justifying the hit on Talib? Sounds like BS.

You are all wrong. Scar was one of the worst position coaches in NFL history. Fitting end last Sunday. A pathetic performance to cap off a dreadful career. Hope now the penny pinchers known as BB and Kraft can spend a little to hire a real coach for the O-Line. IMO Greg Roman, the 49ers Offensive Coordinator would be a good pick for the job. Scar ruined Logan Mankins’ career.

I am serious. You are the ignorant one, blindly praising anyone with a patriots logo on their clothing. If BB’s dog was the assisstant coach, you would call it a great hire. Please don’t embarass yourself. This website is for intelligent fans like me, steve, JH, etc. leave if you don’t have anything positive.

1) Yes, Roman would be downgrading, but the Patriots should overpay to get him if they want a stable O-Line. Or they could fire McDaniels. Can’t afford to be miserly anymore with TB12′s window closing.
2) Scar was so overated. BB gave him three elite players on the O-line and he still couldn’t get the job done. Time and time again, he has failed in the clutch. Hopefully this singles a transition to a dominating line.

Whoever you are you know nothing, dumb s.o.b. , if Roman would be downgrading why should the 49ers give permission for the Pat’s to even talk to him? As for this guy that hacked Russells account he should crawl back under the rock he came from.

Boy, glad to hear that you haven’t flipped out ( my first thought). Always some dumb s.o.b. out there trying to screw with people, to bad. Sounds kind of like someone who was posting this sight last spring with all kinds of hateful stuff.

Cyril Richardson appears more hype then prospect. I’ve dropped him down to 3rd day. And to think he was a 1st rd prospect just days ago. Is the guy hurt?
DaQuan Jones and Justin Ellis are now side by side on my board. Bill should grab one of them this year because with all the underclassmen out this year next year will be slim pickings.

Gabe Jackson looks like the better option for a big, heavy road grader of an OG but I think the Pats could use Cannon’s versatility for that role and draft a more athletic, technical player for the interior, like Martin, for example.

OL-men I like for the Pats this year:

OG/OT – Martin and Joel Bitonio (athletic enough to play at OT yet strong to play at OG as well)
OC/OG – Stork, T. Larsen, Russell Bodine (athletic yet strong players that can play all over the interior; Bodine could make for a pretty good OT too, imo)
OC – Richburg (not suited for OG imo, which I think would hurt his value for a team like the Pats that likes versatile linemen)
OG – Spencer Long (would be great value late in the draft due to injury issues; projects as OG but can play OC too, I think)

Agree. Cannon can play OT/OG on the right side thats why I like Swanson OC above the available OGs. If Bill takes Long OG Neb later, because he slides due to injury, he could have two really dominate interior linemen going forward. Not sure Long has ever played center though, have to look that up but it would be a plus. Lots of good prospects this year.

too bad Brandon Sherff decided to go back to school – I had him as a perfect fit at OT/OG in mid 2nd assuming the Pats decided to trade down. Zach martin was my other top option there but now his stock is rising way too fast for him to drop out of the 1st round.

Next year he would be a sure first rounder, an early one at that, if he stays on the same track of development. This year, I think he would have gone more like earlish to mid 2nd.
Would have been a perfect option for the Pats at OG and a developing OT

quite possibly. I think he gets taken in the 2nd though as teams would still question his being potentially undersized for the NFL. I don’t expect him to fall to the 4th like Atkins did and Atkins’ example should help Donald get picked way earlier in the draft but still doubt that would be enough for teams to be willing to spend a 1st rounder on him.